SHELBY –When Brian Lavelle of Emergency Medical Christians began fundraising to provide relief and support for those affected by the West Virginia flooding, he wasn’t sure what to anticipate.
Maybe it would result in a few boxes of items, he thought. Much to his surprise, people–many of whom live and/or work in Shelby–gave enough items to fill a 20-foot trailer that he and his wife, Tanya, along with some volunteers, took to Charleston, West Virginia, on Thursday.
The devastating deluge that recently hit West Virginia has caused over 20 deaths and destroyed many homes, businesses, roads and bridges, according to reports.
“People are hurting” Brian said. “And I feel that as a Christian, it’s my duty to help people that are hurting.”
Brian was able to speak with Rev. Carolyn Cook, who pastors Church of God of Prophecy in Charleston. She shared with him what items would be especially beneficial for the victims, so he could pass that information onto donors.
The response from the community has been amazing, Brian said.
“It makes me proud that I work in the community of Shelby with people who care so much,” he said.
Among those that donated were the Shelby Fire and Police Departments, MTD Products, Richland Sealcoating, Mechanics Bank and Bucyrus True Value Hardware. There were also many donations from individuals.
Thursday morning, the Bucyrus couple made the four-hour trip to Charleston to meet with Rev. Cook and then followed her to a distribution center where they dropped off the donations.
Donations ranged from food to cleaning supplies, toiletries, dishware and more. All of this, along with approximately $800 in monetary donations, was raised in a matter of a couple weeks. The monetary donation was given to Rev. Cook, who will distribute the money to people in need.
While it’s sad to see all the destruction caused by the flooding, Tanya said they looked forward to the opportunity of praying with the victims and giving them encouragement.
They even handed out “blessing bags” to the homeless. These contained blankets, bottled water, snack foods, toiletry items and more.
About EMC
Emergency Medical Christians launched about four months ago under the umbrella of “The Least of These Ministries.” It consists of a group of like-minded Christians who try to help others in need and abide by what it says in Isaiah 6:8 in the Bible: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said , ‘Here am I! Send me.'”
Brian, who’s been a paramedic for 23 years, said EMC was formed after a conversation with a fellow EMT about the drug addiction epidemic that’s affecting the local community.
“We said we need to do something in the community to minister to these people,” he said.
Last month, EMC held a prayer rally and service in Shelby for those fighting drug addiction and their family members and saw 32 people in attendance. “I was happy with that number,” Brian said. “We talked about addiction and handed out Bibles and even had two recent graduates from a recovery program share.”
To learn more about EMC, visit its Facebook page.
